


on the street tonight the lights grow dim

by helsinkibaby



Category: Glee
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Community: comment_fic, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-10
Updated: 2014-12-10
Packaged: 2018-02-28 23:14:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2750744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Puck goes for a walk and meets an old friend</p>
            </blockquote>





	on the street tonight the lights grow dim

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Glee, Puck, hometown glory

Life, Puck decides, can be a funny thing. 

Steal and crash a car when you're sixteen? Get a stint in juvie. 

Crash one of the US government's brand new, state of the art fighter jets at 28? Get a parade and the freedom of the fucking city.

He'd laughed when they told him at first, sure that Kurt or Santana or one of his service buddies is punking him. The letter that came the next day had been too official to be faked and it had set his mother to crying (again) before frantically calling everyone she knew and deciding what she was going to wear to the ceremony. His outfit, of course, had never been in doubt and he'd posed proudly with his mom and the mayor and a gazillion other people. 

Now, however, he's more comfortable in jeans and a shirt, beer in hand and totally alone. The stars are shining above the McKinley High football field, and the tree he remembers as just a sapling stands proud and tall against his back. Still visible though is the word that he carved in it back in the day and he raises his beer to the sky in salute to the man he still considers the best friend he's ever had. 

"Drinking alone, Noah?"

He smiles at the voice, because somehow he'd known she'd find him here. "Not any more," he says, handing her a bottle from the six pack at his feet. 

Rachel wrinkles her nose, never having developed a huge love for beer, but she takes the bottle, drops down gracefully beside him and stares up at the leafy branches overhead. "Your mom told me you'd gone for a walk," she says. "I figured you'd be here."

Pick raises an eyebrow. "She stopped crying yet? Because I swear, Rach, I still haven't forgiven you for earlier on. She cried for a fucking hour after you sang that song; it oughta be against the law."

Except for he was kinda glad it wasn't, because Rachel has the kind of voice that was made to sing "America the Beautiful" and she'd brought goosebumps to his skin, tears to his own eyes as well as his mother's. Doesn't do to let her know that, though. He likes this new, grown up, more humble Rachel, doesn't want to risk a recurrence of sophomore Glee Club Rachel. 

The look she's giving him, however, shows no hint of that. "I promise not to give such a passionate performance next time," she deadpans and he chuckles. 

"Thank you." 

"It was a lovely ceremony," she tells him. "I'm proud to have been a part of it." She takes a sip of her beer. "You looked very Officer and a Gentleman up there."

Puck raises his beer to his lips, gives her a sidelong glance. "You know what they say about dress whites and gold wings, Rach..." She frowns a little, shakes her head and he grins, leans closer to whisper conspiratorially, "They'll get you into bed anywhere."

She rolls her eyes and that look is definitely Glee Club Rachel. It's so familiar that he laughs and she does too, shaking her head almost fondly. "Same old Puck," she murmurs. Then she stops, stops talking, stops laughing, stops everything. She just looks at him, very serious all of a sudden. 

"No," she decides. "Not the same."

He tries to wash down the lump in his throat with the beer. It doesn't work. "No," he agrees. "Not the same."

She nods, looks down and picks at the grass, twisting a lump around in her fingers. "He'd be proud of you, Noah." Her voice is softer, more gentle than he's ever heard it. "Just like I am."

He's been honoured by the mayor, got a phone call from the President himself, heard from everyone he's ever met in his life and they've all said much the same thing. 

Coming from Rachel Berry though?

It means more. 


End file.
